Eck, John

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Eck, John (1486–1543). German Roman Catholic theologian and opponent of Luther. Eck was appointed Professor of Theology at Ingolstadt in 1510, a post he held throughout his life. After the indulgence controversy, he opposed Luther's teaching, engaged in public debate with him and Carlstadt at Leipzig in 1519, and exerted his influence to procure their condemnation in the papal bull Exsurge Domine of 1520. He wrote against Luther, Melanchthon and Zwingli, and defended the papacy.